SOUTH AFRICA: Buffalo With Craig Boddington

[mark-hunter]

Congrats! Fantastic report and great trophies.

 

[Frederik]

Congrats on that tank of a buffalo!!!

That Kudu bull would be 56-58" but it could also go less or more as with the buffalo genes sometimes you get very big bodied kudu bulls and sometime you get ones that are smaller in body size and that can add up.

The Waterberg where you were is known for large bodied kudus.

This bull above for instance out of the Waterberg dressed out 210kg that's 463 pounds
Which means live weight he was over 900 pounds!!!
Shallow horns he still measured 53"

 

[JerBear8]

be careful when reading Chile’s report from Oct last year. It will set unrealistic expectations for most of our hunts.

No doubt! Just finished that report - my goodness!!

 

[Green Chile]

Congrats on that tank of a buffalo!!!

That Kudu bull would be 56-58" but it could also go less or more as with the buffalo genes sometimes you get very big bodied kudu bulls and sometime you get ones that are smaller in body size and that can add up.

The Waterberg where you were is known for large bodied kudus.

This bull above for instance out of the Waterberg dressed out 210kg that's 463 pounds
Which means live weight he was over 900 pounds!!!
Shallow horns he still measured 53"

Very interesting. Thanks for sharing that. I don't know what it is about the Waterbergs but the genetics there are amazing. Some of the biggest bushbuck, sable, buff, kudu, etc are there...Craig and I talked about this. He's seen most of Africa multiple times...I think it's a crazy place. We will get another piece of that in today's update.

 

[Green Chile]

It’s been a fantastic hunt so far but there is more to come so don’t change the channel yet! The same day we took the cool bushbuck, we had lunch in the field to discuss strategy for the remainder of the hunt. I don’t know about you but I love lunch in the field. You get to a shady spot and get the cold box out…cold drinks to cut the dust from your throat…sandwiches…even a folding chair sometimes to relax. It’s magical. This day, one of the guys found some wild honey and brought us a chunk of honeycomb. That honey was amazing! So we are talking about what to do next after so many wins already in the week. Someone said hey what about that huge sable on the back of the ranch. Now I’ve taken nice sable but whenever a professional gets excited about an animal, I pay attention. I look at Craig and say have you seen this sable Craig? He smiles and says it’s huge. I look at the PH and he nods his head in agreement. The PH says this sable is very old but has been consistent in his patterns. We know where he waters. Well crap…there goes the hunt budget!

 

[Green Chile]

We finish lunch and drive back further into the ranch…this property is about 20k acres with no internal fencing. A lot of people talk about fencing in SA ranches but I normally don’t even see a fence or gate except when we enter and leave the property. These are big ranches. We see a baby giraffe with its mom close by…cute baby that’s 6 feet tall and maybe 1 month old. Nothing says Africa quite like seeing the giraffe walking in the hills and among the acacia trees.

We get up into some hills and the trackers, PH, Craig and myself spread out on the rocks to do some glassing. We can see the water below us but we can’t see under all of the trees. There are some zebra, warthogs and monkeys watering but no sable yet so we move down to get a better angle to glass under the trees. Immediately upon relocating, someone sees the sable and we gather to discuss strategy. We’ve got the wind and the sable is not in a group so we just need to avoid the monkeys that are every animal’s early warning radar! As we start to move out, a thought hits me….I’ve never seen a sable like this before. This is new territory for me.

 

[Green Chile]

We drop down out of the rocky hills into the flat around the water hole. There is a dry stream bed leading towards the water and it is lower elevation so we can travel below sight and below the prevailing wind, which is still in our face. I’m hoping the monkeys are still at the water as I have never beaten them in a stalking scenario. The stream bed makes a small curve and take this chance to climb up and take a peek towards the water. The sable is not in sight…he has left the water but in which direction?

We get very low and the tracker creeps forward about 20 feet and then stops like a bird dog on point. You know the feeling…everything ramps up immediately! I’m right behind the PH who is carrying the sticks. We creep up beside the tracker and the sticks go up. I’m on the sticks in a short moment and immediately see the sable standing behind some brush. His vitals are covered and he is looking right at us from about 50 yards...and I tell myself don't look at his horns...focus! I quietly tell the PH, I’m not going to shoot but I will stay on him. I see the PH nod from the corner of my eye. We wait for about 10 seconds, which feels like an eternity and then the dreaded puff of wind from behind us! The sable tuns and runs up a small hill and we quickly adjust our position. The PH runs forward and to the right a bit and throws the sticks up. I’m on them immediately and see the sable moving over the top of the hill. I get on the scope and the sable pauses to look back. The shot is on the way before anything is said and as the gun recoils, I see the sable dropping straight down. I reload as he is falling and get right back on him in case he bounces back up….but he is still.

 

[Green Chile]

We move up the hill and then just stop short of him...there is nothing said...just silence and the sound of our breathing...no one says a word. What do you say?

 

[Green Chile]

After a few minutes, the spell is broken and we start to relax and talk about what happened so quickly. We clear the ground for photos...

 

[dchum]

After a few minutes, the spell is broken and we start to relax and talk about what happened so quickly. We clear the ground for photos...

View attachment 621568

Wow - That shape, that mass…

Big bodied bull. Congrats

 

[Green Chile]

I am never one to grab a tape measure but the PH tells the tracker to go get the tape from the bakkie and he runs off to get it. I look at Craig and the PH and they are shaking their heads slowly. I break the silence and say I don't know what I'm looking at here...he's huge...I've never seen one this big. Craig says very slowly, "I have NEVER seen one this big either." The tape measure arrives and I stand back while Craig and Chico take some measurements....11" bases...48.5" length.

 

[gillettehunter]

That looks like an incredible sable! Congrats. Sounds like great shooting and a fun stalk.

Bruce

 

[Green Chile]

Thanks Bruce. It was a very humbling experience...better than I deserve.

 

[PARA45]

Oh my, wow, what a beauty! Congrats on hunting such a beautiful and majestic animal. Good call on not looking at the horns, looking at them would have buckle the knees of the toughest hombre.

 

[JerBear8]

Beautiful sable! Congratulations on another stellar trophy!

(I want to see a video of your trophy room sometime )

 

[Ridge Runner]

Well crap…there goes the hunt budget!

I'm pretty sure at one time or another we all have done or said that.

TIA take what she offers you.

 

[Ridge Runner]

After a few minutes, the spell is broken and we start to relax and talk about what happened so quickly. We clear the ground for photos...

View attachment 621568

WOW! Nice bull.

 

[Green Chile]

I'm pretty sure at one time or another we all have done or said that.

TIA take what she offers you.

That was some of the best hunting advice ever given to me many years ago...when the hunt offers you something, if at all possible, take it. Trying to go back later and get it is very expensive and difficult.

The sable was not planned at all on this trip as I have taken nice sable but nothing like this one. There is one more example coming on this trip. Take what Africa offers you!

 

[Green Chile]

Beautiful sable! Congratulations on another stellar trophy!

(I want to see a video of your trophy room sometime )

Thank you. My trophies are scattered all over and I don't have an organized beautiful area...yet. There are lots of fantastic trophy rooms owned by forum members here that inspire me.

 

[Fatback]

Fantastic sable. You could hunt Africa a 100 more times in your life and not see another like that one. Good choice on deciding to take that one back home. On this hunt is Boddington hunting as well or just along as an observer? I’ve met him at the SCI show and spent a few minutes chatting with him and he was her pleasant and personable with me. He seems like a stand up gentleman.